Serendipitous
by GreenWithAwesome
Summary: Fix-it Felix Jr. wants to propose to his long-time girlfriend, Sgt. Calhoun, so he, Ralph and Vanellope go into Sonic the Hedgehog's game to find a ring. Unfortunately, Sonic's world isn't exempt from things going wrong. Not even Eggman can stop his whacky inventions sometimes... Hero's Cuties; post-movie, pre-marriage. Twoshot. Formally Ring Bearer.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! GreenWithAwesome/ GD incoming with a brand new twoshot story! I watched Wreck-it Ralph about two weeks ago and I've been totally smitten by the Hero's Cuties ship. I went to see the film twice and recently all I've been doing is reading fanfiction on them and looking at fanart on tumblr and dA.

I regret nothing.

**For all those wondering whether I am continuing WWaSC**, don't worry your pretty little heads off. It's in progress, but I've run low on the ol' inspiration. It happens all the time and I'm finishing it very slowly, so I don't have a set date for release at the mo.

Anywho, enjoy!

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Fix-it Felix Jr. was as gentlemanly as a guy could come. He would hold open doors, help the older characters across Game Central Station, offer advice whenever you wanted it and comply with all needs while taking that extra step to make you happy. He was famous throughout the arcade for being a nice, gentle and generally happy guy that no-one would even think of hurting.

Well, besides that fact that he had a blunt, weapon-wielding warrior sergeant for a girlfriend who would kick the innards out of anyone who dared stepped across the lines. But that was beside the point.

Fix-it Felix Jr. was also to man to go to when a repair was needed. Handling his magic golden hammer like he had done it his whole life (which he had), Felix could fix just about anything that needed it, even code if necessary (after being punched repeatedly to make candy laugh, he was rather glad he could do so).

Of course, Fix-it Felix Jr. was a character like everyone else, and was, as such, prone to all sorts of accidents that happened in the arcade. They were almost completely unavoidable, like the bricks and ducks that hurtled towards him around level ten.

After the whole Turbo incident, accidents like this didn't occur all that often. But sometimes, on those rare occasions when code and programming went funky-monkey, they did.

"Hammertime's getting maaaarried! Hammertime's getting maaaarried!" President Vanellope Von Schweetz chanted, happily skipping along behind said fixer and her best friend, Wreck-it Ralph. Felix shot her a withering look before holding out his hands to motion for quiet.

"Sssh, it's meant to be a secret!" he whispered, as the trio stood outside the entrance to _Fix-it Felix Jr_. Game Central Station was as packed as it would be on a Monday evening – most characters were on their way to _Tapper's_ or _Burger Time_ to wind down for the night, "Tamora has no idea – well, I _hope_ she doesn't – that I plan to propose soon, okay?"

Ralph snorted, "You shouldn't have told the E-number. She'll spill the gumballs to everyone." Vanellope glared at him, crossing her arms and glitching herself to his massive shoulders.

"I can keep a secret."

"Oh, yeah?" Ralph challenged, "Like the time you told everyone that Sour Bill's mother was a jawbreaker?"

She shrugged, "I thought it was common knowledge."

Felix shook his head, "Back to the point I was tryin' to make: I just need to get a ring in order to propose. And I was hoping that my neighbour Sonic could help with it."

Vanellope frowned, "But the rings in Sonic are humungous! They're, like, bigger than me!"

"Everything is bigger than you," Ralph muttered, earning another shooting glance from the little racer.

The handyman shrugged, "I know… I haven't really thought about that yet. Do you think Doctor Eggman will have a shrink ray or somethin'?"

"Let's go find out!" yelled Vanellope, as the trio made their way to _Sonic the Hedgehog_.

=#=#=#=

Green Hill Zone was a fabulous little world filled with shining blue lakes, distinctive checkered soils and wonderfully grassy plains. The game was completely ideal for a date (which, admittedly, Felix had taken advantage of. Tamora liked this place a lot). Whenever the player popped in a quarter, the rings would appear on the screen, but when they weren't in use, Sonic either kept them on his person, or they were locked up in a tight and secure storeroom. Despite being so common, there was always the chance Eggman would want to nick a few more than he already was entitled to power his machines.

Arriving on a cool hover train Felix, Ralph and Vanellope stepped out onto the start area of Green Hill Zone, to look for their friend.

"I see him!" yelled Vanellope, pointing towards the loop-de-loops. Felix squinted and sure enough, a blur of a blue hedgehog speeding around the hills was visible in the distance. Vanellope took this opportunity to command Ralph and lead him towards the area, much like any princess would.

"Faster, servant!" she yelled excitedly, jumping up and down on Ralph's back to get him to move quicker. It only made him walk slower.

"I'm not being _paid_ to carry you around, squirt – that would make me a _slave_."

Vanellope smirked, "Even better."

Felix couldn't resist a wry smile. His friends, although completely mismatched and practically opposites, still managed to get through their days fine with each other. You couldn't find a closer pair of characters who weren't from the same game – a friendship that would last. He hoped the same would last with his possible-future wife, who he thought he couldn't love any more than he already did.

It took about five attempts to catch Sonic's attention, at which point, he had already circled Green Hill Zone four times without stopping. It was only when Ralph lunged himself into the track that Sonic had almost buried his feet into the ground to get himself to stop.

"Hey guys!" he said, barely catching his breath, "What's up?"

"The sky," replied a smart Vanellope, who Sonic only ignored.

"Nothing much," input Ralph instead, "Usual wrecking and fixing and racing. How about you?"

He shrugged, "Usual running and kicking Eggman's butt. That old fart is still trying to get me."

"Well, it is in his code," said Felix, with a shrug. The group nodded with understanding, "But, that's not why we're here. I wanted to ask a favour, if I may."

Sonic narrowed his eyes, "What kind of favour?"

The honey glows appeared back on Felix's cheeks, "Um, well, I wanted to ask if I could have a ring."

"A ring? What for?"

"Er…" he tugged at his collar, "I was going to propose to m'lady Tamora, and I need a ring to-"

Sonic laughed triumphantly, cutting through Felix's sentence like a butter knife. Heartily he slapped Felix on the back, and although they were about the same height and weight, Felix jerked forward, "Good on you, Felix! And about time too," he paused for a second, "But the rings are huge, dude. They're about the size of my hands."

"I know," Felix said sheepishly, "But I was hoping the doctor had a shrink ray, or some device of some sort."

Sonic scratched his chin, "I don't remember him having a shrink ray, and if he does, he's never tried to use it on me," the hedgehog smiled, "But, either way, I bet she'll love it. Sure, you can have one."

The group smiled as Vanellope cheered, "Yeah, whoop! Hammertime's getting maaaarried!"

But Green Hill Zone was barer than a newly wiped flash drive. Not a single ring was in sight.

"I'm going to have to get one from the storeroom, since most the rings are locked up after-hours – and you're definitely not attacking me to get some – but that won't be a problem."

Felix grinned, "Oh, thank you so much! I really appreciate it!"

Sonic winked, "You're welcome, buddy! Just make sure I'm on the guest list!"

=#=#=#=

He took them to a part of the world, off-screen obviously, that housed the rings while the game wasn't in use. It reminded the crew a bit of _Hero's Duty_ – completely isolated, dark and contemporary, with chunky doors and metal-plated walls to boot.

Sonic flipped the key in his hand – he was entrusted with the honour of keeping the rings safe after arcade hours. He didn't usually take a trip down to this area, but occasionally he would, if his own supply ran a little low.

"These are my life… literally," he jammed the key in and the door whirred open. The four were presented with a huge, hall-like room, where crates upon crates of glowing, gold, spinning rings were stacked higher than the apartment at Niceland. If you hadn't known they were part of a game, you'd have thought you were rich.

"Welcome to the Ring Facility," the hedgehog threw out his arms in pride. Felix observed the sight with his mouth dropping to the floor.

"Oh my lands…" he said. Never before had he seen so many in one tiny space. It was enough to wed everyone and their grandma in the entire arcade... twice.

"Wow," said Ralph and Vanellope in unison, too gobsmacked to say anything else.

Sonic nodded with a smirk, "Cool, am I right?" he sauntered over to the nearest box, plucking a ring from it delicately and tossing it at Felix, "Here you go, take care of it. I'll let the Surge Protector know you're using it."

"Thank you so much Sonic, I really owe you one," Felix said, beaming in gratitude as he scrutinised the ring. It was about the size of his hand span, which meant that on the Serge, it would make a better necklace more than anything. Still, it would have to do for now; Felix considered that maybe hitting it with his special hammer that it would shrink, but he wasn't too sure. He slipped it around his shoulder, continuing to ponder as he and Sonic made their exit. Ralph had to drag Vanellope away since she was so engrossed.

"No problem," Sonic said with a grin, pulling out the key to lock the Ring Facility again, "So, how are you going to pop the quest-"

Sonic's curiosity was cut short when the group made their way outside.

"What in Litwak's is that?!" yelled Ralph, just as his question was answered. In the distance, not too far out in the sky, was a huge, robotic blimp that abruptly emerged from the trees. Right at the centre of the blimp was a huge, rotary fan that presumably kept the thing afloat. It was painted a funny orange and grey, with a long metallic basket hanging beneath, connected to plane wings. Every nook and cranny housed multiple cannons and lasers, and it probably could have fit five Ralphs, it was so large.

"Eggman!" Sonic immediately shouted up at the robot, "It's after hours!"

But the robot didn't stop. It approached the three of them like a looming hurricane, with its vanes snapping hungrily. In fact, Dr. Eggman didn't seem to anywhere nearby, like the machine had a mind of its own.

Sonic looked desperately at his friends, "Get outta' here! If you die, you don't respawn!"

"No way!" yelled Ralph in response, immediately plucking Vanellope off his shoulder and placing her behind him, "That thing is giant, Sonic! I can help destroy it!"

Felix, knowing how useless he was at destroying things, ran over to Vanellope, almost stumbling on the way, "Quick, Vanellope, you need to get to a safe place!"

"No way!" she had to roar back, since the wind was picking up and it was hard to hear, "I want to help!"

Ralph turned to face her, "Get going, Vanellope! There's nothing you can do! Felix, get her out of here!"

Sonic didn't hesitate any longer, as the thing approached with surprising speed. He curled himself into a ball and propelled himself towards the basket, doing some damage but not enough to put a stopper in its works. At the very front of the basket was a pincer-like object that twitched at Sonic's attempt to attack.

Felix grabbed Vanellope and made a dash for the exit, but she only glitched from his arms and back onto the ground.

"I can disable this thing! I'll glitch onto it!" she said confidently, almost losing her balance as the wind picked up to gale levels.

"No!" cried Ralph, struggling to keep his feet on the ground, "You'll get yourself killed!"

Sonic tried again in vain to damage the exterior of the megaship, but he harmlessly bounced off as if his attacks weren't doing a thing.

"The rings!" he suddenly gasped, glancing between it and the Ring Facility, "Its going for the rings!"

Felix was on the job. Still clutching the ring around his shoulder and knowing he wouldn't get to the exit fast enough, he shot towards the Ring Facility, yanking his hammer from its holster. If the robot was going for the rings, he was going to do all the fixing he could to hinder its movements.

The pincer attached to the front suddenly shifted, shooting out of the basket and aiming straight for Felix. The claw was big enough to wrap itself around his entire body, before retracting right back to the basket.

"Waaah!" Felix yelled as his friends became smaller the further away he got. The large ring was crushing his shoulder.

"FELIX!" the group screamed, as Ralph launched himself at the robot. It was too far away for him to reach and he ended up just falling back onto the ground in frustration. Felix continued to struggle against the grip of the pincer as the blimp decided to make its retreat.

"SHORT. BLUE. RING BEARER," the machine suddenly announced.

"We can't let it get away!" Sonic said, ignoring it and turning to Ralph, "Throw me!"

He curled into a ball before Ralph had even registered what he said. Without hesitation, he picked up the blue ball and hurled it as far as his arms could throw, launching Sonic into the air straight at the blimp.

But the wind caught up to them. Sonic lost his momentum before starting to tumble back to the grassy plains below at high velocity. Ralph lunged himself forward, flinging his huge ham hand out to grab the hedgehog before he impacted on the ground. Just in time, he caught him and plunged into a pile of mud.

The wrecker wiped his face with his free hand and grumbled. Although Sonic was still in one piece, Ralph got a mouthful of mire. Still, better him have a mouthful than Sonic be crushed by the stuff.

"You okay?" he asked tentatively, as the hazy hedgehog held his head.

"Yeah," he shook his head to control the dizziness, but it didn't seem to help, "Eggman… I can't believe he's done this! We gotta' run after him!"

"Wait," said Ralph, grasping his shoe and standing up before the hedgehog could speed off, "If we catch up to it, what then? Throw ourselves at it? We need to find the source of the problem."

Sonic nodded firmly, "Eggman," he scowled, "His base is south of here, where that blimp is going."

Vanellope rushed over. She was going to comment on how surprised she was to hear Ralph had said something smart for once, but decided it wasn't the best time.

"I'll go get the Serge! She can help!"

Ralph nodded, "Sonic and I will go find Eggman… if he wasn't on the ship, that is."

Sonic suddenly gulped, "If Felix dies, your game will be unplugged!" The sudden horror that dawned upon them made Vanellope sprint towards the exit and board the hover train right away, while Ralph and Sonic collected themselves and followed the ship, now the size of a cloud in the distance.

=#=#=#=

The blimp was further away now. Felix writhed around, desperate to break free, but its grip was just too strong. He wished right now, more than anything, he had Ralph's wrecking power, rather than a little hammer that could only fix everything it touched. His arms were paralysed in the grip, but he still held his trusty tool, not even daring to touch the machine lest it repair all its damages and kill him completely.

He was still alive and the contraption wasn't attacking his friends anymore. The handyman had no idea where he was being taken or why he was wanted by the machine in the first place, but he was just relieved to see Ralph, Vanellope and Sonic okay.

Felix thought wistfully about his life. If this is where he was going to die, so be it. He prayed his friends would stay safe and not pursue, but he hadn't the opportunity to propose to his beloved girlfriend – hack, he didn't even get the chance to tell her how much he loved her. She would find him, killed by a machine that was almost indescribable and he couldn't have been sorrier that that was how she would find him. He stopped struggling to free himself, accepting his defeat and willing that everyone would be okay without him.

The blimp crossed the horizon of the two-dimension scroller world quicker than he expected. Soon, the screen no longer followed them, and they came to the civilian part of the game – and, not really to Felix's surprise, Eggman's workshop.

He lived, as it appeared, in a large, technological wonderland that would make any robot geek squeal with delight, at the other side of the map to Sonic and his friends. This is where he would concoct his schemes, build his machines and yell at his incompetent automatons. The solitude was probably very peaceful, but at the same time, Felix wondered if Eggman ever became lonely. It didn't help that every player of _Sonic_ games in the world hated his guts and that he had failed for several years to capture Sonic or the Chaos Emeralds. Although not an antagonist himself, Felix had seen what Ralph had to go through daily and he didn't think this would be any different.

Still, the handyman wondered, what in the name of Litwak did Eggman want with him? If he wanted something to repair, he could just ask. Even so, Eggman was a mastermind – he only needed his brain to be able to fix something and was quite capable of doing so himself, especially if he built it in the first place.

The blimp monster slowed as it neared his workshop, the rotary blades spinning at a lesser pace than before. The roof of the building opened its clunky doors as it approached, revealing the giant space where Eggman built his ships, lowering itself gently into the hanger. Eventually, the engine shut off completely and the machine grounded. The room was quiet, and Felix wondered what happened next since the pincer didn't release its grasp.

Nothing happened.

Felix frowned. If Eggman wanted him, he would be here, most likely to gloat, by now. But there was no sign of life, except the slow whir of the blimp behind him. He waited again.

"Hello? Dr. Eggman?" he called politely. There was no response, so he tried again, "Dr. Eggman? Are you there?"

Suddenly, the machine behind him boomed in a computerised, montone voice, "DR. EGGMAN: SUBJECT HAD BEEN APPREHENDED: SHORT, BLUE, RING BEARER."

This confused Felix greatly until a large double-door just to his left flung open. Dr. Eggman was as round as he ever was, his bushy moustache lining his thin lips and his goggles shielding his eyes. But there was one thing different about him.

He was in his pyjamas. And they were pink.

"What's all this racket, _Albatross_?!" he yelled, his night cap jumping around at all of the movement, "Can't a super-genius get any shut-eye?"

"DR. EGGMAN," _Albatross_ repeated, "SUBJECT HAS BEEN APPREHENDED: SHORT, BLUE, RING BEARER."

"What?" It was only until Felix cleared his throat that Eggman noticed the pincer and its inhabitant. His face turned pale and he pursed his lips, "… Oh."

"Doctor!" Felix cried, attempting a weak smile, "Sir, I'd be really, _really_ grateful if you could just release me. Whatever I have done wrong I apologise for, and I'd be happy to help with whatever you need-"

"_Albatross_, you stupid machine! A short, blue, ring bearer is _Sonic_! Not _Fix-it Felix_!"

_Albatross _rumbled, like it didn't like being told off.

"And for another thing, it's _after_ arcade hours! You shouldn't be interfering until a quarter is entered!" He yelled, arms flailing about in annoyance, "In fact, you shouldn't be interfering at all! You're a prototype! Now drop him right now or I'll decommission you!"

At first, it seemed liked _Albatross _was going to comply, and that Felix was going to see another day, but the engine roared to life, and the grip on Felix tightened so much that he wailed in pain and dropped his hammer.

"_ALBATROSS_!" Eggman yelled, shaking a fist as he was so annoyed, but the machine ignored him and its fans began to spin for take-off, "STOP THIS RIGHT NOW, YOU FAULTY PIECE OF JUNK!"

"YOU ARE NO LONGER MY MASTER," rumbled the _Albatross_ prototype, as it ascended into the air, "YOU HAVE FAILED. SHORT. BLUE. RING BEARER." Felix could feel the claw's grip strengthen, crushing the ring even further against him; he wasn't sure how much he could take before he burst into pure code.

The ceiling opened up to reveal the dark sky, as _Albatross_ flew higher and higher. Eggman's curses no longer reached Felix's ears and even with his large belly he became nothing than a round blob below him.

"Jimany…" Felix whispered, fearing for his life more than ever.

=#=#=#=

"Serge! Serge!" there was a loud banging on the doors to her quarters. Much like a spaceship, the characters of _Hero's Duty_ lived in one large unit or barracks, rather than little pretty houses. In a dangerous environment like this, it was a mad idea to live without your comrades close by to watch each other's' backs. Cy-Bugs could be hiding in every corner.

Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun was no exception to this rule. Sure, she was the leader of the team and preferred her privacy, but it meant she could keep a watchful eye on her inferiors. It wasn't out of the question that one came home from _Tapper's _acting giddier than a little girl at Christmas.

With a sigh, Tamora made her way to the door and threw it open. She had been sitting in her armour planning strategy for the next game. Though her plans didn't always go as she wanted, it was a good idea to keep one, to get the men in line and defeating Cy-Bugs. To be honest, however, most of the time she spent was thrown out of the window when an incompetent player entered a quarter.

Tamora looked down to see the president of _Sugar Rush_ and long-time friend_, _Vanellope Von Schweetz, looking desperate, "Oh, it's you, princess."

"Serge! Felix is in trouble!" In a matter of milliseconds, her eyes widened, her heart rate increased tenfold and she could feel her worst fears were coming true. She _wasn't_ losing another love. Without pausing for thought, she grabbed her helmet, her gun and her compact hover board, hurrying after the little racer with haste.

"What's happening?!" she questioned, slipping her head into her helmet and readying her gun.

Vanellope could barely speak since she had been running all the way here, "We were in _Sonic the Hedgehog_," she paused for breath, "When one of Eggman's robots attacked!"

Tamora growled, "Doesn't that man know it's after hours?!" The two arrived at the station that took them to Game Central but Tamora wasn't embarking. She threw her hover board which opened, grabbing Vanellope by the jumper and blasting into the tunnel at speed.

Vanellope struggled to hold on but the Serge kept her on, "It was this big flying blimp of death and it shot a claw out and grabbed Felix before leaving!"

Tamora wanted to throw a chair. One, Felix could be dead at this very moment, since he was outside of his own game and very vulnerable. The handyman hadn't a bad bone in him, and certainly had no skill in combat. Two, it was after the arcade had closed for the night. Why in the name of Litwak was Eggman in attack mode? And why take it out on her boyfriend?

She was definitely going to punch the doctor when she had the chance.

Zipping through to Game Central Station and heading straight for _Sonic the Hedgehog_, Tamora tried not to show her anger too much, since impulsiveness didn't bode well on the battlefield and usually lead to people doing stupid things. Perhaps Eggman was angry, and was in the same situation, but that certainly did not allow him to capture her kind, sweet boyfriend and use him in whatever hair-brained scheme he had coughed up to capture Sonic.

Vanellope barely got a glance of the looks on characters' faces as the duo sped onwards, narrowly missing the hover train that took them to Sonic's world.

"I hope he's alright…" she shouted over the wind smacking her in the face. Tamora turned to her.

"For Eggman's sake, he _better_ be."

They drove themselves out of the exit of the tunnel, and landed in Green Hill Zone. It seemed so tranquil compared to a few minutes ago, although the remains of the carnage were still evident.

"Ralph and Sonic have gone ahead to find Eggman!" the nine-year-old spoke, squinting to see the blimp dipping into a building of some sort. Tamora growled, also spotting the ship in the distance. She wasted no time in commanding the hover board to the level area and shooting across the hills.

How ironic that last time she was here, she and Felix were enjoying a calming picnic in front of sunset, and now she and the others were racing to save his life and the home of the other characters in Niceland.

=#=#=#=#=#=#=

I'm debating how to end this thing because I absolutely detest writing pure fluff - pregnancy announcements, proposals, er... nitty-gritty scenes... such situations as that. I just feel like a pervert when I attempt to those things! But it would make the fic more rounded if I finished it off with something fluffy. So, idk. I'm on the fence.

Also, apologies for my characterisation of the... characters. I haven't fleshed 'em out yet (WHY YOU SO HARD TO WRITE AS, FELIX?!). Plus, the _Albatross_ is an existing Eggman product, 'cept it's called the _Egg Albatross_. Google it for a better idea. XD

Next/ last chapter is coming soon! Keep it cool, fanfiction-ers!

~ GD

PS. Reviewer question: Who the hack came up with Hero's Cuties as the ship name? Tumblr?


	2. Chapter 2

GD returns with the ending to this twoshot. And by Mod, t'was the hardest thing I've ever written. I hope it doesn't seem to rushed...

Anywho, enjoy the show!

=#=#=#=#=#=#=

Tamora shot across the horizons, Vanellope keeping hold of the hover board behind her. Eggman had stolen her boyfriend and he was going to feel her wrath when she got a hold of him. That much was obvious.

The leader of the _Hero's Duty_ crew now had a reputation, after the Turbo incident, for being tough-as-nails, blunt and almost completely unforgivable. Everyone is the arcade feared her name and feared her game, even her own soldiers. This was perfectly acceptable for her – she liked knowing that she had some power.

Obviously, when word was out that she was dating the sweet and bashful Fix-it Felix Jr. from a game that was three decades her elder people began to question whether she really was as rigid as she was made out to be. Well, a few more rounds of slaughtering Cy-Bugs and her reputation remained the same. It was just ingrained into the minds of people that you shouldn't ever mess with the handyman or find out how good her aim really was.

Apart from commanding a group of hulking men into the battlefield and making Cy-Bug stew though, Sergeant Tamora Calhoun didn't have many other qualities known about her. Of course, she had a softer side, but that was saved for her close friends and Felix only. Like every other character, though, she was prone to having accidents occur in her life. Some were pleasant accidents – Wreck-it taking a Cy-Bug along to _Sugar Rush_ and meeting the new love of her life, Fix-it, but others yielded less pleasant results.

The Brad Scott incident hadn't completely burned from her memory, even after starting a relationship again. Forgetting a perimeter check on days as important as her wedding wasn't so much an accident, but more a complete mistake. Select few knew the reason why she had a gritty exterior, but because of it, she had vowed to eliminate the virus that were Cy-Bugs and protect all those that were closest to her.

Especially Felix.

Alright, this time, he wasn't being devoured by any flesh-eating form-taking insects, but the situation was no different. Tamora was absolutely _not_ going to lose him. She couldn't go through with the heartbreak… not again.

"I see Ralph and Sonic!" yelled Vanellope, cutting through the silence of the ride. Tamora indeed saw the wrecker and the blue hedgehog running as fast they could – well, as fast as the wrecker's legs could take him – towards Eggman's base. It was obvious to Tamora that Ralph was looking a little fatigued.

She slowed up towards them, almost scaring the living binaries out of Ralph.

"Wreck-it!" she yelled, motioning the back of her hover board, "Get on!" Ralph wasn't too sure it could hold his weight plus the three of them, but as he jumped on, the board stayed afloat. Vanellope climbed onto his shoulder.

Sonic smirked at the object, "Heh, think it can keep up?" he said, preparing to speed off at a less sluggish pace. Tamora just returned the smug grin.

"It'll give you a run for your rings, hedgehog," the four of them shot towards Eggman's base, as the roof suddenly opened again.

=#=#=#=

It didn't take long before the blimp was completely visible in the sky, having emerged from inside Eggman's hanger. As the four approached the end of Green Hill Zone, the ship grew in size, as did any unfortunate passengers.

Tamora, having always had excellent vision, was able to see Fix-it Felix struggling to break free from the grip of the pincer at the front of the basket. Her heart sank and her stomach dropped seeing him in confinement like that; she wanted to blast that ship into smithereens.

"Eggman's base is over there!" Sonic cried, jerking his head towards the dark and rather ominous building that was pending towards them. But they didn't need to go to Eggman's base to get the guy himself.

He sat in a small, levitating pod, _in his pyjamas_, screaming commands into a little radio. Tamora scowled; no doubt the man was ordering around the blimp. As they advanced towards him, he appeared almost relieved to see them.

Jumping out of the pod, he grinned as Tamora dismounted her hover board.

"Oh thank Mod-"

But he was cut off when Tamora yanked him up by the front of his pyjama suit, absolutely livid. Her eyes flashed dangerously as the man quivered underneath her glare.

"Turn the ship off or I swear I will shove my foot so far up the mud on my boot will _quench your thirst_!"

Ralph couldn't help but wonder what Felix found attractive about this woman. At all.

Dr. Eggman gulped, waving his arms frantically, "No! No! You've got it all wrong! I can't control the _Albatross_!" she released her grip and little harshly, causing him to drop to the floor. He continued to tremble – it was a rather hilarious sight since he was in his pyjamas.

"_Why not_?!" she seethed.

"I installed an AI – Artificial Intelligence – into the ship, but it was defective! The commands I input do not work and it doesn't do what it was built to do!" He dared to glance upwards, regretting it profusely when the sergeant glowered at him with anger oozing from her eyes, "It was programmed to destroy something short, blue and that had rings-"

"Me," Sonic cut in, stepping in front, "You were targeting me. But Felix is also short and blue, and he's holding a ring!"

"It was a prototype! It was never meant to be released until much, much later!" Eggman pleaded, more directed at the woman holding him at edge point than anyone else, "Please, please! Have mercy!"

Tamora scowled. So this guy's whacky inventions had endangered herself, her friends and her boyfriend. She released her grip, and inhaled deeply much to Eggman's happiness.

Instead of leaving him to wallow in his own self-pity, she punched him _hard_ across the face.

"How about you not release it at all, you ignorant fool!" She glared at him just a second longer apathetically before jumping back onto her hover board, "Sonic, Wreck-it, princess: find a way to disable the guns! I'm going to get Felix."

"Yes ma'am!" Vanellope replied, saluting her before clutching Ralph's shoulder. Eggman had sent out a fleet of tiny robot aeroplanes to try and hinder the progress of the Albatross, but were doing practically nothing against it, falling uselessly on the ground as piles of scrap.

Ralph had an idea, "If I could get up there, I could do some wrecking," he glanced at Vanellope, who cottoned on to the idea and immediately glitched the duo away.

Sonic nodded firmly, "I'll attack the guns and cannons myself," he curled into a ball, ready to fire himself and do some wrecking of his own. The sergeant was about to jet off herself when Eggman stopped her.

"Wait, Sergeant Calhoun!" he called, running up to her with a gleaming, golden object, "This might come in handy!"

She took it, eyes widening. It was Felix's hammer.

"I'll be sure to get this to him," if he made it out alive, that was. She clipped it to her belt sped to the nearest hill, gaining some speed to ramp right off and straight towards the front of the basket attached to the blimp. Suddenly, though, the structure had halted in the air.

Tamora looked down. And then she feared for her life.

=#=#=#=

"SHORT. BLUE. RING BEARER. INCORRECT TARGET; RECALCULATING," were the only words that the _Albatross _prototype could spout as it rose into the air, sirens wailing and guns locked and loaded. Felix thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't in range of any of their fire. He had already been shot at once in his life, and that was by his girlfriend. Imagine what a crazed mechanical menace would do.

Felix glanced below. Blob-Eggman, he could just about strain to hear, was yelling commands at his grounded robots in a tiny pod, hopefully to get the blimp down. How did this thing control itself and disobey its creator? Maybe it was because he came from a small, nice town, but he had never heard of such a thing before.

He wondered where the blimp was taking him. Perhaps it was just programmed to sound evil and would actually drop him right back at the entrance and wave him goodbye and good luck, but the handyman figured this was too optimistic, even for him.

From to his left and right, suddenly, Eggman had fired the prevention squad. Tiny aeroplanes equipped with lasers bore down on the blimp and fired shots. But the planes were tiny and the shots were measly. Using its multitude of cannons and lasers, the planes plummeted to the ground before Felix could mumble 'I can fix it'. Eggman sent another round into the air, and although the _Albatross_ took damage, it wasn't enough to deter it. The doctor would be left with a nice pile of worthless fragments on the ground – hopefully he had the initiative to use his hammer for what it was meant for.

But there was something that Felix felt had made this trip worthwhile – the ring. No matter what, even if he went down, he wanted Tammy to have the ring, as a symbol of his love. He hoped he would be able to give it to her in person, but by the way it was forcing itself against his tiny arms the outlook was as bleak as the landscape of _Hero's Duty._

Then, to Felix's surprise, the blimp halted midway in the air. The tiny aeroplanes were still raining down but not coming even close enough for Felix to hope for rescue.

"SHORT. BLUE. RING BEARER. INCORRECT TARGET; RECALCULATING," the _Albatross_ repeated, as the cannons went all-out against Eggman's forces. It occurred to Felix then that this is what his girlfriend had to go through with every day, and while he had lived blissfully unaware for thirty-so years, Tammy had to go through the same black hell zone, never-ending, like a nightmare that continued forever. He felt genuinely sorry for her.

Then, Felix looked down and he almost screamed.

The _Albatross_ had frozen right above a huge, dark and deep chasm that seemed bottomless and no doubt lead to nowhere. It was a death pit for Sonic. Sure, if Felix was a blue hedgehog that lived in this game, he would have no qualms with being chucked down there multiple times. He'd just respawn.

But Felix wasn't a blue hedgehog that lived in this game. He was just a handyman that fixed things.

Behind him, suddenly, he could hear the ripping of metals and pounding of cannons, and the distant voices of his two best friends. For a moment, Felix thought he was saved.

"SHORT. BLUE. RING BEARER," said the _Albatross_, "INCORRECT TARGET; DISPOSE."

And the moment was gone.

"_Dispose_?!" Felix shrieked in horror as the blimp fought off more planes and a blue hedgehog. He did _not_ like the sound of that, "Oh, no you don't! Put me down on the ground this instant or… or I'll set my girlfriend on you!"

Well, it seemed rather intimidating at the time. But the _Albatross_ prototype didn't agree. It loosened its grip on Felix before he slipped through the claw, clutching onto the ring and plunging head-first towards the chasm.

And it was just then that Felix realised how to fix the problem.

=#=#=#=

Tamora was on it quicker than white on rice and a glass of milk on a paper plate in a snowstorm.

The moment she noticed the chasm, her heart thudded uneasily in her chest. The moment she saw Felix drop from the basket, her heart exploded.

She crouched on her hover board to make herself more aerodynamic, shooting towards her falling boyfriend. He was clutching the huge _Sonic_ ring, his cap, and the tool belt wrapped around his waist for dear life and was most definitely screaming. She crouched as far as she could go, hoping she would reach him on time.

It was almost perfect. Just as he shot towards the hole at alarming speed she managed to catch his leg and pull him along the air with him.

He beamed, with one hand keeping the cap of his on his head and the other gripping the ring, "T-Tammy! Oh my land, you're okay!"

"You bet I am," she said, not daring to loosen her grip just in case. She aimed her flight-capable hover board towards the ground, far away from the chasm. Distracted by the keeping her boyfriend in one piece, she miscalculated the speed they were going, which threw the two passengers onto the ground in roly-polies.

Tamora sat up, her head slightly dizzy from the impact, "You okay, soldier?" Standing up, she inwardly thanked choosing not to change out of her armour today.

Felix didn't look so hot, though. He appeared dizzy and his left arm was twisted in an awkward position.

"J-just fine, ma'am," he said, woozily. Without another word, Tamora unclipped out Felix's hammer and lightly tapped his left arm. It healed instantly.

She sighed, "Fix-it, you moron. What were you doing?!" she pulled him into a hug as the handyman attempted to regain his bearings.

"Oh, er," he began, glancing around. The ring was safe, having rolled just a little further away. He breathed a sigh of relief, hugging her back with eagerness, "I came over to talk with Sonic and set up our next date. Guess it didn't work out as planned."

She let him go and for the first time today, smiled, "You could say that again, Short Stack," She removed her helmet and planted a kiss on his lips that left him with the honey glows something awful, "I better get back up there and destroy that thing. You stay here where it's safe."

Felix, still recovering from the peck, shook his head vigorously, "Oh, no, _no_, ma'am! I _know_ I can fix it!"

She cocked an eyebrow just as she replaced her protective headgear.

"I just need my hammer and to get back up there. Could you do that for me?"

Tamora looked very reluctant, not quite seeing what his idea was, but trusted him completely. After a long pause, she spoke "Affirmative. But don't you _dare_ get yourself killed!" He wouldn't dream of it, now that he had come so far.

Not before long, the duo was in the air again. The cannons and lasers, now considering them enemy as well, began their assault, raining bullets like a well-oiled poking machine. But this time, Tamora had her gun at the ready and was firing at any hostile that dared to aim in her direction.

Felix just ducked behind her, hammer wielded in his hand, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

Meanwhile, Ralph and Vanellope were doing a semi-decent job of taking down the back guns.

"I'M GONNA' WRECK IT!" bellowed Vanellope, egging on Ralph to do his worst. He scratched, kicked, dented, pummelled, smashed, did whatever he could to hinder the weaponry. The little racer clutched his shoulder, glitching them to places whenever a stray shot or hunk of metal flew in their direction. Sonic had finished disabling the left side just by using a technique he called the homing attack.

"DESTROY HOSTILES," the _Albatross_ boomed, undeterred.

"Tammy," Felix spoke firmly, as the hover board began to lose momentum, "I need to get to that ship!" Without hearing any complaint, he shifted in front of her on the hover board.

She cocked her gun, letting loose another round of bullets while eying the claw with uncertainty, "That claw! It could grab you again!"

"I can avoid it if I jump!" She bit her lip again – did she really want to risk losing another one of the men she loved most dearly? One that had turned her heartbreak on its own head?

If she or anyone wanted to get out alive at all, she had to take that risk.

"I'll cover you. Go!"

Felix jumped.

=#=#=#=

His superior jumping skills were second to none. Tamora intercepted any gunfire that came in his direction (which had luckily lessened since Sonic, Ralph and Vanellope had helped), making mini-explosions practically circling him. He managed to grab hold of the basket, a little disorientated, but alive.

The claw, not approving of the fixer's reappearance, shuddered as it prepared to take Felix and pitch him back down the chasm. But Felix was ready.

Hammer in arm, he yelled before thwacking the basket hard.

In that instant, the guns repaired themselves. The lasers repaired themselves. The fans and plates and control panels repaired themselves. The blimp glowed a golden colour as it paused in the madness to reconstruct all of its broken pieces. For a second, it seemed like it was the worst possible thing Felix could have done.

But the _Albatross _stopped firing bullets everywhere. The lasers stopped trying to incinerate everything. The claw halted, before retracting back to the front of the basket. The whole blimp just calmed down as if given a chill pill.

"OBJECTIVE: RETURN TO DR. EGGMAN," it babbled, like it had been completely reset, "OBJECTIVE: BAKE COOKIES." The blade whirred back to life as the blimp began to turn back around.

Tamora was gobsmacked. The hostile had changed tune and now wanted to _bake treats_ for Dr. Eggman. How in Litwak's name did it become so monstrous? She grounded herself, no longer having to worry about being fired at anymore.

Felix, meanwhile, climbed aboard into the basket, inhaling deeply as the ship descended back to the ground. He was alive… and he hardly had a scratch! The adrenaline was pumping though him so much that he just had to laugh giddily…. He was _alive_! Ralph and Vanellope suddenly glitched into the basket to join him.

"I will never get used to that…" muttered Ralph, who looked a little dizzy himself. Vanellope jumped off his shoulder and ran towards Felix, clutching his legs with a gleeful expression.

"You're okay, Hammetime!" she cried in delight, as Felix laughed and hugged back. He felt so relieved that everyone was alright. Even Ralph couldn't resist joining the group hug.

"I thought we had lost you, brother!" he said, picking the two up from the floor and squeezing tight.

Vanellope squirmed in his grasp and snorted, "Yeah, right, Stinkbrain! You knew all along we would rescue him!"

Ralph reasoned, "Hah, 'spose when Calhoun got here we all knew you'd be fine."

"She really is a dynamite gal, don't you agree?" Felix asked, causing the trio to laugh.

Ralph finally let them go while Vanellope smirked, "Oh, man, you shoulda' seen the way she punched Eggman right in the face! Hahah!"

Ralph laughed sheepishly. Calhoun was a good role model – most of the time.

"Don't chicken out, brother. You gotta' marry her."

A thought suddenly crossed Felix's mind. He must have looked so pathetically weak up there, being all captured and perfect material for a 'damsel in distress' arcade game rather than the hero of another. It made him feel slightly insignificant and almost… unworthy.

"I-I'm sorry guys. If I hadn't been captured we wouldn't have-"

"Don't be stupid, Hammertime," Vanellope grinned, every tooth in her mouth shining, "It's not your fault. It was all that doy, Eggman. Don't you worry your pretty little head off," she grinned so large every tooth was on display, "Besides, it was kinda' fun!"

"She's right, for once," Ralph patted him gently on the back, "It wasn't your fault. You went through all that to get her a ring!"

"Yeah! It's so romantic!"

"I know, I know," Felix said, still frowning, "But it's such an inconvenience – especially to Sonic, who was so kind to give me this to me. But Tammy had to _rescue_ me, like I'm a little old lady rather than a hero with thirty-plus years of arcade gaming-"

"Woah, woah, hold on there buddy," Ralph said with a laugh, stopping the handyman in his tracks, "You're not getting cold feet, are you?"

Felix was taken aback. Cold feet? Of course not. He would marry Tamora in a heartbeat if he could. No, it was rather a matter of self-worth. She was, quite frankly, _awesome_, and him, awe-_less._ At least, that was what he believed.

"No, brother, it's just…" he sighed, "If our relationship is just her saving me every other game, it won't work. I don't want to be her helpless husband. She's suffered enough as it is without me adding to her burden."

"_Burden_? I can't believe my ears," said Ralph, shaking his head. Even Vanellope just groaned.

"Dude, she's _dating_ you, and has been for millennia! Isn't that enough indication that she wants ya'?" she nodded her head firmly, squirming for a more comfortable position on Ralph's shoulder, "Wait, I'm a girl; I _know_ it's enough."

"Yeah," the wrecker agreed, "Don't back out now, bro. She wouldn't have gone through all the trouble to save you if she didn't care."

"And did you see the way you swung that hammer? That's not helpless! That'd make any sergeant swoon!"

Their constant praise made the honey glow return to his cheeks. There were reasons why he loved his friends and wouldn't trade them for the world – no matter how down he felt, they could perk him up quicker than a bar of chocolate. He didn't have cold feet, just a little less confidence than usual. But now it was restored, and he felt ready to take on the world, and, more importantly, go down on one knee.

"Thank you, friends," Felix smiled, reaching for another hug which they gratefully accepted, "What would I do without you all-" he was cut off as the blimp grounded with a loud thud inside Eggman's hanger; the trio having completely missed the roof opening and the triumphant yells of Sonic the Hedgehog.

"OBJECTIVE: RETURN TO DR. EGGMAN AND BAKE COOKIES," rumbled the _Albatross_ prototype. Just then, a short _ding _sounded just behind them. The door to a tiny oven, tucked underneath the multitude of control panels, flew open and a rack shot out, presenting a tray of perfectly-baked chocolate-chip cookies.

"OBJECTIVE: COMPLETE. SHUT DOWN," and the engine of the _Albatross_ shut off. It was relieving to hear silence again. Well, except for the sound of Vanellope helping herself to the cookies.

Tamora boarded the basket, helmet in her hand, with a gentle smile on her face. Behind her, Sonic appeared holding a giant ring and Eggman, trailing behind and mumbling about his cookies.

"You did good, soldiers," she said to the group, but particularly looking at her boyfriend, who had almost sacrificed himself for the good of all of them. Felix's face just grew hot as he returned the smile. Sonic gave him the thumbs up too.

"Yeah, that was nice thinking buddy. How did you know that the blimp was defective?"

Felix laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "I wasn't too sure, to be honest… But Eggman called this ship a 'faulty piece of junk', so I figured that I could fix it to return it to its original state."

Eggman fingered with his moustache, checking control panel, "Yes, good thinking indeed… it seems the AI has repaired itself, whatever was wrong with it in the first place."

Sonic turned to the doctor, which his hand on his hips, "I think you owe these guys an apology."

He sighed, but bowed, "Yes, I am sorry. Really, this is a very early prototype of a machine I plan to battle Sonic with, but in the far, _far_ future." Although Sonic didn't seem to like it, the other four nodded in acceptance, "I programmed it to go after short, blue creatures that held rings, but, eh, they didn't go to plan..."

"I can't believe it went after me and not Sonic. How many rings are you holdin' right now?"

"Plenty, but they're _in_ me. I wasn't exactly holding one up for show. Speaking of which," he tossed the ring back to Felix, "There's your ring back."

"_Your_ ring?" Tamora asked, cocking an eyebrow. She stared expectantly at her boyfriend while he blushed, not having any real idea of what to say next as the crowd silenced.

"Is he gonna' ask it now?" Vanellope whispered to Ralph, face covered in chocolate while the wrecker just shrugged in response.

"Er, Tamora?" Felix paused, as Vanellope gasped, "I just wanted to say… to say thank you. You really are one-of-a-kind, beautiful and so very good to me. I couldn't ask for a better girlfriend."

She smiled again, pushing down his cap, "You're welcome, Pint-Size. I mean it about the flattery though – too much is bad for a person."

"Indeed, m'lady," Felix agreed. Silence followed afterwards, fumbling with the huge ring in his hands. As much as he wanted to propose, he was afraid she'd say no, in front of everyone, leaving little Felix embarrassed and hurt. Tamora wasn't really one for public displays of affection, so he usually kept it to a minimum when other characters were around (especially his friends. He didn't want them feeling like they were the awkward third wheels). Proposing was about the _worst_ thing you could do in public.

The silence was cut through when the sergeant spoke, "You gonna' ask me something, Fix-it?"

"Eh?" he just mumbled, blinking in surprise as his girlfriend kneeled down to his eye-level.

"You were going to ask me something," he knew instantly that _she_ knew as her eyes trailed down to the object in his hands. Happiness swelled inside of him as he hastily bent down on one knee himself, brandishing the ring.

"Tamora Jean Calhoun, we've been through so much together. You're so much more than the high definition I saw you as at the start. Our meeting was only an accident, but it was a happy accident that I will never, ever regret, even if you did kick me in the gut-" there was a low chuckle, especially from the sergeant, "I may just be a handyman that fixes things, but I think- no, I _know_ I can fix your broken heart. So, to the dynamite gal of my dreams, would you do the honour of becomin' my wife?"

At first, there was silence; only the curling of the corner of her lips as the indication that Felix had made the right choice.

"Yes," she breathed with a sincere look in her cerulean eyes, before repeating it a little louder for the group to hear. They cheered – Vanellope wolf-whistling and jumping up and down on Ralph's back so excitedly he was sure he'd have her boot prints on his clothes.

Felix couldn't help but grin madly as Tamora took the ring and stood up, popping it around her neck and grabbing her new fiancé for a long and laboured kiss. Time seemed to slow down and he eagerly kissed back, cupping her cheek as he did so.

After they had parted (Vanellope couldn't help but make fake gagging sounds), Tamora grinned wryly as the honey-glows on love-struck Felix seemed to burn every feature on his eight-bit face. She set him back down again as Ralph came up and hugged his co-worker.

"Good job, brother!"

"Yeah," Sonic echoed with a thumbs-up, "You did well, buddy."

Eggman, who had been politely clapping the whole time, strode over to the tray of quarter-empty chocolate-chip cookies, "This calls for celebration!"

Felix beamed, taking his fiancé's hand and offering her a baked treat, "I think the President has made clear that they are rather delightful!"

The group couldn't help but laugh, everyone taking a cookie in jubilation. Tamora planted another kiss on the handyman's lips before helping herself.

Sure, Fix-it Felix Jr. and Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun were prone to accidents, but sometimes, it was the moments that these happy accidents created that they would cherish for all time to come.

_Fin._

=#=#=#=#=#=#=

Urgh, apologies for that proposal scene. When I published the first chapter I had already finished the second one, but I realised I had built up to a whole popping the question, so I had to include it - therefore, had to change the original ending (which was basically Felix chickening out and everyone eating cookies XD). I hate writing mushy fluff and this has only reinforced my hatred. Still, I hope to have done some justice and it's good to step out of my comfort zone once in a while.

'Til then, I am considering a chaptered story for Wreck-it Ralph - not to clear on details yet but I'll let ya'll know on my profile of any new plans. Obviously, it'll have a healthy dosage of Hero's Cuties. XD

Hope you enjoyed it! Stay cool, Wreck-it Ralph fandom!

~ GD

PS. Now for some shameless advertising: if anyone is interested in the Percy Jackson/ Heroes of Olympus and Harry Potter series, check out my crossover story _When Wand and Sword Collide_. ;)


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